When Chu Lai woke up, he was surprised to find that Cen Wei had also fallen asleep.

The man was slumped awkwardly over the edge of the bed, his hair tousled, looking completely unlike his usual elite self.

Chu Lai glanced at the time. It had long passed the fifteen minutes he had mentioned—it had been nearly an hour.

He nudged Cen Wei. “Mr. Cen.”

In front of Cen Wei’s family, Chu Lai called him “Ah Wei” but in private, he still kept a more formal distance, as if to remind them both that their relationship was still just a contractual marriage. Even if it looked flawless to others, it was still fake.

Cen Wei mumbled groggily, without opening his eyes. “What is it?”

To others, he seemed aloof and cold, but in private, he was considerate and lively.

This was clearly an unexpected situation. Even though he had stayed over at Chu Lai’s apartment a few times, Chu Lai had always woken up to find that Cen Wei was already awake.

Chu Lai didn’t say anything more, simply lying there, watching how Cen Wei would react.

When the man finally opened his eyes and his gaze fell on Chu Lai, a few seconds later, he shot up in a fluster.

Chu Lai silently chuckled, while Cen Wei exhaled and asked, “Why didn’t you wake me up?”

He glanced at the clock on the nightstand. “It’s already been an hour?”

Chu Lai replied, “Looks like you’re really tired.”

Although reluctant to admit it, Cen Wei didn’t want to confess that he’d fallen asleep while watching Chu Lai. Clearing his throat, he said, “Then put on a jacket, and let’s head out.”

Chu Lai noticed his clothes were still packed away, and so did Cen Wei. He pointed to his own wardrobe. “Wear mine.”

Chu Lai looked at him and asked, “Are you sure I can?”

Cen Wei nodded. “Of course.”

Even the one-bedroom apartment of a well-known entrepreneur like Cen Wei had a walk-in closet. Chu Lai opened it, revealing an array of expensive suits.

Coming over, Cen Wei helped him pick something out. The wardrobe opened panel by panel, each section organized meticulously. Finally, Chu Lai found something that wasn’t a long trench coat, grabbing a brown jacket off the rack. “Anything else you have would be way too long for me.”

Cen Wei was tall and broad, and even the short jacket looked oversized on Chu Lai.

When they left, the jacket made Chu Lai look even smaller.

In the elevator, Chu Lai noticed the slight grin on Cen Wei’s face.

Turning his head, Chu Lai glanced at him. The man was holding the dog leash, no longer trying to keep a distance as he had before.

Cen Wei pretended not to notice Chu Lai’s gaze, focusing on Da Cai instead.

The elevator descended, stopping at the next floor where a man in trendy casual wear got in.

He had a large dog with him. As soon as they entered, Da Cai backed away, and Cen Wei quickly picked him up.

“Sorry about that,” the man apologized.

Chu Lai reached out and patted Da Cai’s head, the little dog letting out a soft whimper.

Chu Lai glanced at the man’s dog, a big, fluffy, white Samoyed. It was adorable, and seeing it reminded him of a wish he’d written in a high school yearbook—to one day have a white Samoyed.

But high school had been years ago, and now Chu Lai was approaching the age of an overworked corporate slave, still without the means to raise such a large dog.

Chu Lai’s gaze was so focused on the dog that even Cen Wei could sense his fondness for it.

Cen Wei gave the dog’s owner a look. The man, like them, was also going down, but instead of staring at the elevator’s display like a stranger, he was looking at Chu Lai.

The man, tall and decently good-looking, spoke before Cen Wei could say anything. “Chu Lai?”

Chu Lai was still exchanging gleeful looks with the Samoyed.

He was wearing Cen Wei’s oversized jacket, which looked way too big but kept out the wind. His jeans were faded, and his sneakers were worn but still presentable, yet it was clear he was wearing someone else’s jacket.

Chu Lai responded with a soft “Hmm?”—his tone rising a little as he instinctively looked towards the source of the voice.

Cen Wei asked, “Do you know him?”

Chu Lai squinted through his glasses at the man standing beside them, finding him vaguely familiar but unable to place him. “Who are you?”

The man sighed, “You’re still the same, never remembering faces.”

He moved closer to Chu Lai, his dog sniffing at him. The man had a friendly demeanor, with dimples that appeared when he smiled. He opened his arms slightly, joking, “Want a hug to help you remember?”

Before Chu Lai could react, Cen Wei quickly pulled him to his side, saying, “Excuse me, but…”

Before he could finish, Chu Lai seemed to remember something. “Class president?”

Just then, the elevator doors opened, and the dog bolted out ahead of its owner. The man smiled. “Looks like you’re not that bad. You still remember me?”

The man had a gentle appearance, completely opposite to the naturally stern and dignified look of Cen Wei. His smile was bright and warm.

“Do you live here?” Chu Lai asked.

The man didn’t leave immediately, stopping outside the building to stand face-to-face with Chu Lai. “Yeah, I just came back for work. But you’ve forgotten my name, haven’t you?”

His tone was so familiar, as if it had always been this way between them, that it made Cen Wei feel a slight, inexplicable discomfort.

He knew well that his relationship with Chu Lai was purely contractual, and despite how hard it was to enforce, they had signed the agreement.

After the divorce, Cen Wei would still owe Chu Lai a settlement.

The “settlement” amount was set by Cen Wei, and in exchange, Chu Lai had to repay him with “hugs.”

The fact that this man seemed to know about Chu Lai’s unusual habit was something that made Cen Wei pay close attention. He wasn’t an ex-boyfriend; he was the class president.

Outside the building, there weren’t many people around, and this neighborhood was nicer than any of the ones Chu Lai had rented before.

Standing close to Cen Wei, Chu Lai clearly gave off a different vibe, which the man noticed right away. However, he didn’t comment on it, patiently waiting for Chu Lai to speak, just like back in school when he’d wait at Chu Lai’s desk for him to slowly hand in his homework.

That was Chu Lai—like a drink with no distinct flavor, but not plain water. His flavor was subtle, maybe slightly salty, maybe even bubbling with some warmth.

The silence dragged on for a while, the two dogs began to sniff each other and play. Finally, Chu Lai managed to say, “Ding Xiuzhu?”

The man sighed, “No.”

Chu Lai smiled, “Class president Ding Xiulin.”

Ding Xiulin glanced at Cen Wei and asked, “And who’s this?”

Chu Lai gave an “Oh”, reaching out to introduce him, but before he could, Cen Wei grabbed his hand. Without any hesitation, Chu Lai said, “My boyfriend.”

Ding Xiulin didn’t seem surprised. The oversized jacket already gave it away—it was clearly this man’s size.

With a tone full of playful disappointment, he asked, “Is this the boyfriend you’ve been dating for three years?”

Ding Xiulin didn’t have Chu Lai’s WeChat. Back in high school, Chu Lai used his dad’s old phone, and the only way to contact him was by phone. But no one made calls every day, so the number was practically useless.

To Ding Xiulin, Chu Lai had always been like a wildflower by the roadside—silent and unchanged, weathering the wind and rain in solitude.

By now, Cen Wei had caught on to something else.

He glanced at Chu Lai, who shook his head honestly, “No, he’s not.”

Unable to hold back, Cen Wei interjected: “Lai Lai and I are getting married.”

It was the first time he had called Lai Lai that in front of a stranger, and surprisingly, it didn’t feel awkward. Instead, there was a strange sense of satisfaction.

Chu Lai didn’t seem to mind either. After all, his family always called him that. It was certainly better than being called “baby.”

Ding Xiulin looked at Chu Lai in surprise. “Really?”

Chu Lai nodded. He hadn’t expected to run into his high school class president here, but his stomach was growling, so he didn’t linger long. “I’m off to the supermarket with my… boyfriend. We’ll be heading out.”

He didn’t sound uncomfortable, but Cen Wei’s scalp was tingling.

It was the first time he’d heard Chu Lai introduce him as his boyfriend in front of someone else. His heart raced uncontrollably, and it took all his effort to suppress the grin threatening to creep onto his face. He played it cool, merely responding with a casual “Mm.”

Ding Xiulin hadn’t seen Chu Lai in years. Compared to the small, skinny teenager he remembered, Chu Lai had grown a lot, but there was still a hint of boyishness in him.

Not wanting to hold him up any longer, Ding Xiulin simply asked, “Want to add me on WeChat?”

On the surface, Cen Wei was “Lai Lai’s” marriage partner, but in reality, they were just collaborators.

Although Cen Wei himself had little interest in relationships, he had seen enough romantic entanglements among his friends to recognize Ding Xiulin’s feelings toward Chu Lai.

But he couldn’t exactly stop them from adding each other on WeChat. So, standing to the side, Cen Wei quietly pulled Da Cai closer, thinking to himself that this little dog really had a habit of getting too cozy with strangers.

Ex-boyfriends were one thing, but this guy hadn’t even taken you for a walk before.

Chu Lai let Ding Xiulin scan his WeChat QR code and then grabbed Cen Wei’s hand, leading him away.

They passed the fountain and the lounge area, and only then did Chu Lai slow his pace.

Cen Wei didn’t let go of his hand, but simply stood beside him and asked, “No need to rush, right? Are you really that hungry?”

Chu Lai shook his head, then suddenly asked, “Mr. Cen, did you have a crush on anyone in school?”

Xuan Rongqing had told Chu Lai about Cen Wei’s past, but Chu Lai had never discussed his own history with him.

Their occasional chats mostly revolved around work or everyday life, rarely touching on past timelines.

The winter wind blew across Chu Lai’s face, turning his cheeks red.

The greenery in the neighborhood was lush, the streetlights artistic, casting shadowy silhouettes that made it hard to read expressions.

Cen Wei shook his head. His adolescence had been a barren wasteland, soaked in blood, where every inch screamed the shame of desire.

Desire for love, for affection, for commitment.

But he knew what Chu Lai’s question implied, and his Adam’s apple bobbed as he tried to maintain a casual demeanor. “Was that man you liked?”

The young man beside him, wearing his oversized jacket, pulled his chin into the collar against the wind.

Chu Lai, now wrapped in the jacket’s wool collar, his bangs blown aside by the breeze, had his eyes hidden, but that didn’t stop Cen Wei from guessing what lay behind them.

Chu Lai softly answered, “Strictly speaking, he was my first love.”

His voice was a bit muffled, tinged with regret. “But I didn’t know back then that I could like men. When he hugged me, I felt like I was sick.”

The first time Chu Lai met Cen Wei, he gave off an impression of calm detachment.

When they sat down for drinks, the scent of loneliness and grilled green peppers seemed to seep into Cen Wei’s senses, luring him into taking this drunk man home with his guard down.

Chu Lai was surprisingly easygoing.

Whether it was staying over, getting married, or moving in together.

He even possessed a rare purity that reminded one of a mountain spring in summer. And now, that spring was trickling, revealing his regrets.

Cen Wei pursed his lips, his voice deep as he asked, “Do you want to tell him about our situation? After all, we’re just…”

“A contractual marriage, not real.”

He hadn’t realized just how hard those last eight words would be to say. And after they left his mouth, he found it impossible to tear his eyes away from Chu Lai.

It felt like that brief moment of nervous anticipation before a teacher called on you to recite something in class. Or maybe, it felt like he was preemptively declaring the end of their marriage a year early.

Chu Lai chuckled softly. “But I’m already your legal partner. If I went to patch things up with him, wouldn’t that be cheating?”

There was a teasing tone in his voice. “Mr. Cen, do you have some kind of special fetish?”

He still had the energy to joke around. Cen Wei sighed, just about to respond when a child wobbled past on a scooter, causing him to pull Chu Lai into his arms.

His voice low and gentle, Cen Wei said, “Of course not. But first loves are precious. I can’t stand in the way of your happiness.”

He paused, then added, “Didn’t he say that you could remember him through a hug? It seems you were quite satisfied with his…”

Chu Lai shook his head, turning slightly to go from being embraced to wrapping his arms around Cen Wei’s waist, as if burrowing into his embrace.

The young man’s voice was firm. “It’s different. I like Mr. Cen’s hugs better.”

“They’re strong, warm, and make me feel safe.”

Chu Lai didn’t hold back his praise for Cen Wei. “If possible, I wouldn’t mind hugging you for the rest of my life.”

Cen Wei’s mind went blank, and he instinctively asked, “And if that’s possible?”